Main menu

1 of 9The 2013 McLaren 12C Spider weighs just 88 pounds more than the coupe version.

&nbsp

2 of 9The folding hard top of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

3 of 9A front view of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

4 of 9The doors of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

5 of 9A rear view of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

6 of 9The steering wheel of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

7 of 9The cockpit of the 2013 McLaren 12C Spider.

&nbsp

8 of 9The gauge cluster is dominated by a large tachometer.

&nbsp

9 of 9The 2013 McLaren 12C Spider is powered by a twin-turbo V8.

&nbsp

What is it?

The McLaren 12C Spider is a retractable hardtop version of the 12C coupe the British automaker introduced in 2011. McLaren Automotive managing director Antony Sheriff said that because the company planned for the drop-top version from the start of 12C development, little modification-or added weight-was needed to create the 12C Spider. In fact, the Spider, which employs the identical carbon-fiber MonoCell tub as the coupe, weighs just 88 pounds more than the coupe, all attributable to the heavier composite roof structure and its associated mechanisms and motors.

But even better is that everything McLaren has learned since putting the coupe on the market has been incorporated into the Spider, including a series of software upgrades that boost power of the mid-mounted, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8 by 25 hp to 616 hp, sharpen throttle and transmission response, solve electrical glitches that had threatened confidence in the car's everyday durability, and improve the audio of both the exhaust sounds and the Meridian sound system.

Best of all, the Spider retains the coupe's ability to perform on road and track, without any loss of performance except top speed, which drops by 3 mph to an aerodynamically limited 204 mph. McLaren pegs the official 0-to-62-mph time (on Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires) at 3.1 seconds (same as the coupe); we have no doubt that same interval applies for 0-to-60 mph on stock Pirelli P Zero rubber.

What's it like to drive?

First off, it's an aural cornucopia because once the top drops, the sound of the high-performance powertrain envelops the passenger space from behind, sides and echoing off any nearby structure or vehicle. The audio feast is aided by the Intake Sound Generator that is also found in the coupe. The ISG, adjustable to various levels depending on driver desire, ports engine noise directly into the cabin, abetting the underlying mechanical growl of the boosted powertrain and the always audible exhaust report. Under acceleration, there's a satisfying wail that urges one to push for the top of the 8,500-rpm range, while abrupt off-throttle produces an equally enjoyable exhaust echo accompanied by the percussive "chock-chock-chock" of the turbo waste gates bleeding off suddenly unneeded manifold pressure.

Though top down is obviously the preferred mode of travel, McLaren engineers also added a power-deploying rear window, which functions as a wind baffle in top-down driving but also as a large port to the sounds of the engine bay and exhaust roar when the top is in place. And unlike most rear windows that produce severe cabin vacuum pressure, sucking in dust and fumes from behind the vehicle, or conversely sucking everything from inside out, the aerodynamics of the 12C body provide perfect pressure equilibrium so that all that enters the cabin is auditory joy.

On the road, the car can be as docile or as demonic as one might wish, simply by dialing up differing settings on the central control panel. Options include Normal, Sport and Track modes, independently selectable for both chassis setup and powertrain. As a result, the driver may select a softer ride for bumpy urban streets, while retaining the lightning-quick power delivery and reflexes of the engine and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. We can't think of a situation in which one might choose to rein in the powertrain while running with the chassis set for maximum track performance, however.

All this comes with a caveat: Even when punched up to max performance settings, the 12C is an inherently tractable machine, offering a level of drivability that seems almost sacrilegious in supercar circles.

Isn't a car of this nature, especially one with the world-renowned racing provenance of a builder such as McLaren, supposed to be beautiful to gaze upon but an inhospitable, brutal beast should one dare test its limits? Not the 12C Spider, where man and machine meet in a common goal of launching ever quicker, pushing ever faster, cornering ever tighter until one party or the other declare "enough already"-and more often than not that's the one doing the prodding. In track mode, nailing the accelerator is rewarded with an instant engine wail, but with such smooth downshifting as to be imperceptible-at least until the moment when acceleration and g forces reach one's personal maximum. Braking, provided by 14.5-inch fronts and 13.8-inch rears and aided by an automatically deploying airfoil Airbrake (developed for Formula One use and since banned from the series), is up to the challenge. In the right hands, the McLaren's stopping power will have you hanging from your seatbelt harness and you'll be thankful the webbing is there to contain your personal momentum. Cornering, aided by uncannily accurate steering and multiple geniuses including active racing-style dampers, active braking (also developed for F1 use) and some of Pirelli's finest rubber, inspires driver confidence past the point of traction loss, with zero understeer and any oversteer readily corrected with a quick flick of the wheel without any apparent loss of momentum.

Do I want it?

If your pocketbook can support it, we can only think of one thing better than a McLaren 12C coupe, and that'd be the 12C Spider. With the retractable hardtop securely in place, the car looks nearly identical to the coupe and retains virtually all of the coupe's performance capability; top down, it's an open-air delight at any speed.